During its latest financial results event, Sony has recognized that people want to buy a PS5, but that they are still unable to do so because of supply problems in the production chain, and also the shortage of semiconductors. This is something that we had already seen on previous occasions, but Sony’s acknowledgment has been accompanied by very interesting information, and that is that the Japanese company believes that the situation will begin to improve sooner than expected, specifically mid 2022.
Obviously, that does not mean that you will be able to buy a PS5 without problems, and at normal price, from that date. It will simply mark the beginning of a slow recovery that will slowly lead to increasing availability, and prices closer to the recommended level of the console (499.99 euros in its standard version, and 399.99 euros in its standard version). without optical drive).
Sony’s CFO, Hiroki Totoki, has been the one who has offered all that information. It was not by chance, it was necessary to explain why only 3.9 million PS5 consoles have been sold in the last quarter of 2021, a figure that represents a considerable drop compared to sales for the same period of 2020, and that has been even below the company’s forecasts, but which brings about what we anticipate in this news. Taking into account that the mobile division of the Japanese company is sinking more and more, and that its dependence on the PlayStation division is increasing, you can get an idea of what this means for Sony.
Buying a PS5 will continue to be an odyssey worthy of Homer this year
Although Sony’s CFO has said that the situation will start to improve from the second half of 2022, the truth is that the recovery within the semiconductor market has been set for 2023. This means that Hiroki Totoki’s words would be referring to the beginning of a timid recovery, and that its real impact for the consumer who wants to buy a PS5 would actually be practically negligible. By this I mean that yes, buying a PS5 will continue to be almost impossible throughout 2022, at least at its normal price.
But we must not forget that, beyond the problem of the supply chain and the shortage of semiconductors, we will still have to deal with the issue of scalping and speculation. The reselling of PS5 at inflated prices has long been a very lucrative businessso much so that some have been able to amass large sums of money, and are reinvesting a part in continuing to drain stock replacements and thus maintain zero availability and very high prices.
It is obvious that these guys are not going to throw in the towel easily, and that they will try to drag out the situation as much as possible. However, once they can no longer drain the market they may have to liquidate the units they have in storage, and if this creates excess supply they may be forced to lower prices. It seems unlikely to me, because I’m sure they will take care of manipulating everything they can to avoid having to get to that point, but it would be a case of ‘poetic justice’.
